Business Club September 6th: Chondroitin sulfate is a mucopolysaccharide extracted from animal cartilage and plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and arthropathy. It is an important biochemical product on the market. In recent years, with the continuous expansion of the use of chondroitin sulfate, the demand in the international market has become more and more prosperous. The production and export volume of chondroitin sulfate in China has grown rapidly and the market prospects are promising.
Rapid increase in demand in the international market
Chondroitin sulfate was first put into production in 1958 by Southwest Pharmaceutical Factory of Chongqing. Due to the fact that it is based on the extraction method, there are not many production enterprises in China for many years, and the output and scale are also very small. The production capacity of general enterprises is only a few hundred kilograms. In the mid-1990s, China's total production of chondroitin sulfate raw materials was only 1,000 kg. Chondroitin sulfate preparations are mainly tablets and injections. The indications are neuralgia, migraine, and tinnitus caused by streptomycin. The amount of clinical use is small.
With the continuous expansion of new functions and new uses of chondroitin sulfate, the scope of application has also gradually expanded. In recent years, the demand for chondroitin sulfate has rapidly increased in the international market. In Europe, chondroitin sulfate has been used as a prescription drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis for two to three decades. According to IMS data, the total sales of finished chondroitin sulfate products in Europe continued to increase from 2005 to 2009, with sales of $340 million in 2009 (see Table 1).
In addition to its use as a medicine, a large amount of chondroitin sulfate is used as a supplement to improve arthropathy. For example, as a dietary supplement, it has been popular in the United States for many years. In addition, its application also extends to the food and beverage category.
There are 21 million patients with osteoarthritis in the United States and the incidence is still on the rise. At present, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are mainly used in the clinic, but their side effects cannot be ignored. Therefore, people have gradually focused on the interest in cartilage protection agents, which may repair joints and delay their progressive degradation. Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine are the two most important natural compounds. Practice has proved that chondroitin sulfate has a certain effect on improving degenerative arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in the elderly, so the market has shown a rapid upward trend. At present, the annual sales in the US market are estimated to have reached 1 billion U.S. dollars.
China's chondroitin sulfate industry grows rapidly
Prior to the mid-1990s, the raw materials for chondroitin sulfate used in Europe, North America, and other places mainly came from local cattle, sheep, and other animals. Later, due to the influence of “mad cow disease,†countries such as Europe and the United States began to purchase large quantities of chondroitin sulfate from pig cartilage processing in the global market. As the world's largest pig-raising country, China has quickly become the world's preferred source of chondroitin sulfate by virtue of its resource advantages.
Driven by the strong demand in the international market, China's chondroitin sulfate industry has grown rapidly. China's chondroitin sulfate production process is a traditional biochemical technology. Due to low technical entry thresholds, many small and medium-sized private enterprises in Shandong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Hubei and Hebei have poured into the industry in recent years. At present, China is the world's largest producer of chondroitin sulfate, accounting for more than 80% of global production. The average annual output from 2006 to 2009 is 3,300 tons, and the average annual compound growth rate is 24%.
According to data from the website of the State Food and Drug Administration, there are currently 31 production approval numbers for chondroitin sulfate raw materials in China, and more than 100 production approval approval numbers. 17 companies have passed GMP certification for chondroitin sulfate raw materials. In addition, some domestic biochemical plants also produce chondroitin sulfate raw materials, and it is estimated that there are about 40 bulk drug manufacturers. Among them, some export-oriented companies, such as Yantai Dongcheng and Jiangyin Jiyuan, have passed the European and American raw material quality certification.
With the large increase in international demand, the export of chondroitin sulfate has also increased significantly in recent years. From 2001 to 2009, the export volume of chondroitin sulfate increased from 287 tons to 3,431 tons, an increase of more than 10 times; the export volume increased from US$0.1 billion to more than US$200 million, an increase of more than 20 times. In the first half of 2010, China's exports of chondroitin sulfate continued to increase substantially, with exports of 1,962 tons, an increase of 36.17% year-on-year; exports amounted to 130 million US dollars, an increase of 47.71% year-on-year.
China's major export markets for chondroitin sulfate are the United States, Europe, and Japan. The United States is the largest export market for chondroitin sulfate and accounts for approximately 50% of its exports.
With the continuous growth of exports, more and more companies are engaged in the export of chondroitin sulfate. In 2002, there were only 38 chondroitin sulfate export enterprises in China and 179 in 2009. Despite the increasing number of export companies, the degree of export concentration remains high. In 2009, the top ten exporters of chondroitin sulfate exports accounted for more than 60% of exports.
Good prospects for development
About 355 million people in the world suffer from a variety of osteoarthritis, and there are more than 100 million osteoarthritis patients in China. As the average life span of human beings prolongs, the incidence of osteoarthritis will increase. Domestic and foreign experts are focusing on the development of chondroitin sulfate end products that have exact improvements in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In addition, chondroitin sulfate also has broad application prospects in anti-infection, tissue regeneration, anti-free radical and tumor drug development.
In 2009, chondroitin sulfate was included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2010 edition). Two". In the new edition of the Pharmacopoeia, the quality indicators and detection methods of chondroitin sulfate are in line with the major national pharmacopoeias such as USP, EP, and JP. This measure will have a far-reaching impact on improving the quality of pharmaceutical products in China, promoting industrial development, promoting the integration of industry resources, and enhancing the international competitiveness of enterprises and products.
In terms of production technology, the production technology of most chondroitin sulfate manufacturers is still traditional biochemical technology. With the advancement of biochemical separation engineering, the production technology of chondroitin sulfate will be innovated by new technologies and new technologies. It will be more energy-efficient and cost-reducing. It will pay more attention to product quality, yield, and optimization of the comprehensive utilization of biological resources. At present, some domestic leading enterprises have made fruitful explorations in technological innovation.
Overall, China's chondroitin sulfate industry will continue to develop in a healthy manner. With the strong demand in the international market, the export prospects are good.
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